1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multicompartment electrical wiring trunking for running cables.
It relates more particularly to electrical wiring trunking which includes at least first and second cable running compartments extending parallel to each other in a general lengthwise direction of the trunking and separated from each other by a fixed insulative partition which includes at least one communication opening between the first and second compartments.
As a general rule, xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d current cables, i.e. power supply cables connected to the AC line voltage, are run in one compartment of multicompartment wiring trunking and xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d current cables, i.e. telephone or computer network cables, are run in another compartment.
Electrical accessories, in particular xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d current and xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d current socket outlets, connected to the cables that run in the various compartments of the wiring trunking are mounted in the same compartment as the cables to which they are connected.
However, this reduces the wiring capacity of the trunking.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several prior art solutions to the problem of increasing the wiring capacity of this kind of multicompartment wiring trunking.
A first solution is to increase the dimensions of one of the compartments.
A second solution is to use an electrical accessory support external to the wiring trunking.
Neither of these solutions is satisfactory because they increase the overall outside dimensions of the wiring trunking fitted with its electrical accessories, at least locally.
Documents FR 2 660 120 and GB 2 289 292 describe another solution to the problem of the wiring capacity of wiring trunking which provides a third compartment between two cable running compartments adapted to receive all the electrical accessories to be connected to the cables run in the aforementioned two compartments, the third compartment being separated from the other compartments by insulative partitions with openings for communication between the respective compartments enabling a cable in one of the two cable running compartments to be fed into the third compartment to connect it to an electrical accessory.
Apart from the fact that this solution also increases the width or height of the wiring trunking, it does not provide good electrical insulation between xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d current cables and xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d current cables, because these must cohabit in the central third compartment, with no particular separation between them, in order to be connected to juxtaposed electrical accessories in said compartment.
With a view to remedying the aforementioned drawback, the invention proposes a new solution to the problem of the wiring capacity of multicompartment electrical wiring trunking which does not increase its overall outside dimensions and provides perfect electrical insulation between xe2x80x9cheavyxe2x80x9d current cables and xe2x80x9clightxe2x80x9d current cables so as to conform to the provisions of the applicable standards.
To be more precise, the invention proposes electrical wiring trunking including at least first and second cable running compartments extending parallel to each other in a general lengthwise direction of the trunking and separated from each other by a fixed insulative partition which includes at least one communication opening between the first and second compartments and an electrical insulation box having a lateral wall with a lateral access opening mounted in the first compartment so that its lateral access opening coincides with the communication opening and the space inside the box forms an extension of the second compartment into the first compartment which is electrically insulated from the first compartment and adapted to receive an electrical accessory to be connected to electrical cables running in the second compartment.
Thus, in accordance with the invention, it is advantageously possible to place all of the electrical accessories of the electrical wiring trunking in one of its cable running compartments, in order to free up the others and thereby increase their wiring capacity.
In practice, it is usually the xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d current cable running compartment that is freed of electrical accessories, which are placed in the xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d current cable running compartment, because it is the xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d current cable running compartment whose wiring capacity must be increased to serve a greater number of computers or telephones.
Other non-limiting and advantageous features of the electrical wiring trunking in accordance with the invention are as follows:
each communication opening can be made as and when required by cutting the insulative partition;
each communication opening can be formed integrally with the insulative partition, in which case it may be advantageous to fill in each communication opening with a removable partition portion to enable the wiring trunking to be used as standard wiring trunking and to expose each communication opening as and when required to increase the capacity of one compartment of the trunking;
the electrical insulation box also has, in addition to its lateral access opening, a front access opening adapted to receive an electrical accessory support plate;
the electrical insulation box has on its lateral wall incorporating the lateral access opening means for clipping the box to the insulative partition;
the electrical accessory support plate is clipped to the wiring trunking in such a manner as to hold the electrical insulation box in position in the corresponding compartment of the trunking;
the electrical insulation box can have on the outside face of its back wall means for clipping it to a longitudinal rail provided on the back of the corresponding compartment of the wiring trunking;
the lateral access opening of the electrical insulation box can be defined within a frame projecting from the corresponding lateral wall of the electrical insulation box;
the frame advantageously has two parallel lateral uprights forming right-angle rims on the lateral wall of the insulation box and carrying on their outside face means for locating the frame in the communication opening of the insulative partition so that the lateral access opening of the electrical insulation box coincides with the communication opening;
the frame advantageously also includes a longitudinal beam delimiting both one side of the lateral access opening and one side of the front access opening and carrying at its ends a finger for locating the frame in the communication opening adapted to engage in an appropriate channel on the insulative partition so that the beam is locally substituted for an upper part of the insulative partition;
the beam can be formed integrally with the electrical insulation box or attached to the electrical insulation box to facilitate connecting electrical cables running in the second compartment to the electrical accessory in the electrical insulation box and to avoid tangling the cables.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example, explains in what the invention consists and how it can be put into effect.